Three children dead, one seriously injured after car plunges into a Melbourne lake

A woman is in Melbourne’s Royal Hospital under police guard after the station wagon she was driving plunged into a lake at Wyndham Vale 36km west of the CBD, this afternoon

Emergency services were called to the scene on Manor Lakes Boulevard around 3.40pm. The car was semi-submerged around 10 metres into the lake and contained the female driver and four children, all believed to be aged under six. Several passerbys stopped to help, along with police, breaking the windows to rescue the children trapped inside and administering CPR.

One child died at the scene, one died en route to hospital and the surviving two were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, but a third child subsequently died there. It’s not yet known if the woman is their mother.

The cause of the accident is unknown and detectives from the Major Collision Investigation unit are currently investigating.

Superintendent Stuart Bateson described the incident as “a really harrowing investigation” into “a tragic set of circumstances”.

People are appealing for witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au